In the year 1276, Blessed John had the great happiness of seeing one of his own brethren, Peter of Tarentaise, elected the first Dominican Pope. Two years later, when John was 73 years old, Pope Nicholas III appointed him to be Archbishop of the city of Jerusalem. Besides his basic modesty which shied away from the honor of the episcopacy, his prudence dictated that a man of his years and declining health was not up to the job of governing a diocese wracked by war between Christian crusaders and Moslems. He begged to be released from that appointment, and to be allowed to retire as Master General of his Order. The Pope acceded to his first request, but left to his Dominican brothers the decision as to his retirement. They would not hear of it, and he thus served his brethren as their General until his death in 1283, at the age of 78. His Dominican brothers, and all who knew him, realized that a saint had gone to his eternal reward. In 1903, Pope St. Plus X officially inscribed the name of John of Vercelli among the Blesseds of the Church; we await the day when he will be accorded the full recognition of canonization.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise for the life, the accomplishments, and the virtues of Blessed John. Through his intercession, we commend to your love and your protection the Order of Preachers to which he devoted his life, the Holy Name Society which he founded and the devotion to the most Holy Name of Jesus, which he promoted with such great zeal. We pray in that most Holy Name of Jesus, your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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LITANY

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Jesus, hear us.

Jesus, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, son of the living God, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, King of glory, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, sun of justice, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, amiable, Have mercy on us.

Jesus Admirable, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, mighty God, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Father of the world to come, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Angel of the great counsel, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, most powerful, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, most patient, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, most obedient, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, love of chastity, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, lover of us, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, God of peace, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, author of life, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, example of virtues, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, zealous lover of souls, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, our God, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, our refuge, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, father of the poor, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, good shepherd, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, true light, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, eternal wisdom, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, infinite goodness, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, our way and our life, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, joy of Angels, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, king of Patriarchs, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, master of Apostles, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, teacher of Evangelists, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, strength of Martyrs, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, light of Confessors, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, purity of Virgins, Have mercy on us.

Jesus, crown of All Saints, Have mercy on us.

Be merciful unto us, Spare us, O Jesus.

Be merciful unto us, Hear us, of Jesus.

From all evil, Jesus, deliver us.

From all sin, Jesus, deliver us.

From Thy wrath, Jesus, deliver us.

From the snares of the devil, Jesus, deliver us.

From the spirit of fornication, Jesus, deliver us.

From everlasting death, Jesus, deliver us.

From the neglect of Thy inspirations, Jesus, deliver us.

Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy Nativity, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thine infancy, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy most divine life, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy labors, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thine Agony and Passion, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy Cross and dereliction, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy sufferings, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy death and burial, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy Resurrection, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thine Ascension, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thine institution of holy Eucharist, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy joys, Jesus, deliver us.

Through Thy glory, Jesus, deliver us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Jesus, spare us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Jesus, graciously hear us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Jesus have mercy on us.

Jesus, hear us.

Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let Us Pray

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, who hast said, Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, mercifully attend to our supplication, and grant us, we pray, the gift of Thy divine love, that we may ever love Thee, with our whole heart, and never desist from Thy praise. Give us, O Lord, a perpetual fear as well as love of Thy Holy Name, for Thou never ceasest to govern those whom Thou foundest upon the solidity of Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

God our Father, You raised Blessed John of Vercelli to leadership in Your church and made him an apostle of the Holy Name of Jesus, Your divine Son. We ask of you, through the intercession of Blessed John, a renewal of devotion to Your son among ourselves and our fellow men. May all men come to know, to love and to reverence the most Holy Name of Jesus -- "So that at Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD" (Phil.P:lO-ll)